Ethical and legal issues in the care of the elderly cancer patient.

Contemporary cancer care is complex. Although its purpose is to cure, treatment of elderly patients requires recognition that incompetence and death may occur in the near future. The best way to honor the wishes of elderly patients is to construct a treatment decision status contract with them in advance. Through dialogue about probable outcomes of interventions, both patients and physicians can explore fundamental values to be respected in the course of treatment. In this way, physicians can preserve their traditional role of championing the value of life while respecting the considered judgments of elderly patients about their care.